Project Summary: 

For his Fulbright project, he worked with the Research Center for Civil Society (RCfCV) at Babeș-Bolyai University to strengthen how NGOs use data to address social challenges. He helped the center expand its outreach to civil society organizations, showing them how academic researchers can support practical needs such as program evaluations, policy analysis, and donor profiling. At the same time, he demonstrated to faculty how partnering with NGOs can also produce meaningful academic research, helping bridge the gap between scholarly work and the everyday needs of civil society. This is an ongoing project where he has already made solid progress. 

Hitting the Ground Running  

Connecting with Communities and NGOs 

Right from the start, he traveled to rural and regional communities in Remetea and Făgăraș, where he met local and regional NGO leaders and observed their work firsthand. He attended the Bike‑a‑thon fundraising event, toured the Transylvanian Research Center, and learned how these organizations mobilize local communities. During this visit, he delivered a keynote talk on how universities, local government, and nonprofits can collaborate to meet community needs—drawing on examples from his work in Grand Forks, ND. What was scheduled as a two‑hour roundtable turned into a lively four‑and‑a‑half‑hour discussion. 

Academic Collaboration at Babeș-Bolyai University 

Back on campus in Cluj, he met with university leadership (including the Dean, department chairs, faculty, and students) to help strengthen the institution’s research focus on civil society. He delivered a lecture on macro‑ and micro‑level civil society research and demonstrated how projects with NGOs can also produce strong academic publications. He collaborated with faculty on emerging research projects, including a study on youth volunteering and work examining the shrinking space for civil society. Throughout these meetings, he helped faculty and students understand how their academic pursuits could more directly support and illuminate the work of NGOs. 

Strengthening NGO Capacity 

Beyond the university, he worked closely with NGO leaders across the region. Following the Făgăraș events, he met with executives from organizations such as the Association for Community Relations (ARC), which hosted a roundtable to explore how academic tools can strengthen NGO operations. He provided practical guidance on donor prospect ratings (an analytical method used to identify and organize potential supporters) and shared concrete examples from his own research to help NGOs refine their fundraising and strategy development. 

Bucharest Engagement and Project Wrap‑Up  

His project culminated in Bucharest, where he delivered a keynote address to national NGO leaders and met with the Fulbright Commission to share the project’s outcomes. These conversations helped lay the groundwork for ongoing collaboration between U.S. and Romanian partners.